The present invention relates to a stretcher and a bed.
A conventional stretcher, which has a pair of shafts and a cloth section stretched between the shafts, has been well known. A man to be carried. e.g. a patient, is laid down on the cloth section, and carrier persons rip end sections of the shafts so as to lift and carry him.
However, the conventional stretcher has following disadvantages:
Firstly, the conventional stretcher is bulky, and a large accommodation space is required because the shafts are not collapsible. Further, with such long shafts, it is difficult to go up and down stairs and to turn at a narrow entrance or on a narrow aisle. Practically, the conventional stretcher can not be used in such narrow places.
Secondly, a plurality of carrier persons are required to manage the conventional stretcher. Therefore, it is impossible to carry a patient by one carrier person.
Thirdly, the cloth section of the conventional stretcher has no elasticity, so a patient must be transferred from the stretcher to a mattress on a bed after the a patient is carried to a destination. To transfer the patient to the bed is troublesome, and the mattress must be previously set on the bed.